Audio Conf: The State of Community Banking: Year in Review

2013 has been an eventful year for community banks and for the banking industry as a whole. New regulations and rules related to capital requirements, qualified mortgages, appropriate fees, and consumer disclosures have flooded the industry, and the regulators continue to hold a firm line on compliance. On a larger scale, the Federal Reserve Bank has continued to place downward pressure on interest rates, shrinking profitability and further encouraging consolidation in the industry through merger and acquisition transactions.

In this audio conference, industry expert Jeff Gerrish will discuss various community bank initiatives that have assisted community banks in achieving profitability in spite of these changes, including capital allocation alternatives such as stock repurchase programs, an increased focus on strategic planning, "back to the basics" lending, and strategic merger and acquisition transactions. In light of all that has occurred in the past year, our nation's community banks must continue to position themselves for long-term profitability and independence. This session will offer substantive, practical strategies to help community banks thrive into 2014 and beyond.

Speaker: Jeffrey C. Gerrish

Mr. Gerrish is Chairman of the Board of Gerrish McCreary Smith Consultants, LLC and a member of the Memphis based law firm of Gerrish McCreary Smith, PC, Attorneys. The two firms have assisted over 1,200 community banks in 48 states across the nation. Mr. Gerrish's consulting and legal practice places special emphasis on strategic planning for boards of directors and officers, community bank mergers and acquisitions, bank holding company formation and use, acquisition and ownership planning for boards of directors, regulatory matters, including problem banks, memoranda of understanding, and cease and desist matters and compliance issues, capital raising and securities law concerns, ESOPs and other matters of importance to community banks.